#Edwin tay

[nenan]

Edwin Tay photographed by Jaime-Maree Shipton for Mowalola

[la-situde]

Ann Demeulemeester RTW Runway F/W '24

[giraffe44]

August 5th Is Robert Taylor's Birthday

August 5th would have been Robert Taylor’s 112th birthday. Robert Taylor’s career spanned four decades.  Mr. Taylor belonged to the greatest generation, loved his country and his family.  Robert Taylor was an extremely talented and versatile actor and a good  man, husband and father.  We could use more like him today. Martha Crawford Cantarini, stunt woman. “He was one of the legendary faces in…

[satirates]

Things from the comics that I would like adapted in a potential season 2:

The ''No case too small'' slogan for the agency

Charles and Edwin's black and white kitties

Edwin's stupid little hat

Ghost lore (like the Tai ghost)

The ghost roads and swoosh (not likely because of mirrors)

Charles's monks sister and his mad scientist of a niece

Crystal doing cosplay

Ghost astral projection

Crystal burning down Edwin and Charles's school with a cocktail Molotov.

[valejalkainen]

koska mua kiinnostaa onko suomitumppu oikeasti niin tuntsaa täynnä kuin se vaikuttaa olevan:

[wyndowpane]

What soft love songs the Fellowship dedicate to you (and why) <3

In the mood to make myself cry, plus I’m in my ‘i was i wasn’t lonely’ phase of the night.

Pulled most of these from my notes app lmao, and i listened to each one while writing, I highly recommend giving them a listen!

GN! reader, mostly you/your used :) (Obviously some songs will involve specified gender, please correct as you need, and remember that these characters would absolutely make these changes as well)

GIF by legolasimagines

Frodo Baggins - Hopelessly Devoted to You - Olivia Newton-John (Grease)

He definitely has the distinct memory of the classic slow burn moment of “Oh. Oh.” happening, where he realises just how much he loves you. He knew he was head over heels, and he looks at you like you hung the moon. And if you sing it to him- UGH😩💙. IN LOVE, HE SHALL BE. He probably hums it a lot when doing work or writing. Of course, the lyrics are quite relatable to him. Frodo has this internal belief that the person/people he love/s can’t love him nearly the amount he adores them. He was willing to sit around and wait on you, in the hopes that you would see him in the same way. His brain knew he should just move on, but he couldn’t let go, and he’s glad he didn’t. He’s so devoted to simply loving you.

“Hold on to the end, and that’s what I intend to do. I’m hopelessly devoted to you~”

GIF by frodo-sam

(gotta appreciate that me looking up his name resulted in a bunch of po-tay-toes memes. anyway. back to the hcs)

Samwise Gamgee - Hello, Hello - Elton John ft Lady GaGa (Gnomeo & Juliet)

He’s a sucker for meet-cute stories, and would unironically love this movie, even setting aside this banger of a song. The moment he saw you, he felt captivated by your beauty, whether or not the meeting went well or if you fell on your face. The song is just so cheerful and wholesome. He probably told you that the song reminded him of you, and that sparked the romantic relationship. Every time this sequence plays he’ll just look at you (if/when you watch the movie). PLEASE SING THIS AS A DUET WITH HIM AAAA. (He isn’t Elton John, but his voice is lovely 🥰)

“Hello, hello (Hello, hello), my, my, my, what have we here?”

GIF by tossme

Peregrin Took - I’ll Be - Edwin McCain

Honestly it’s hard to explain this one. It’s just so soft and sweet and really describes how he feels about you. Also as the youngest and a, quoting Gandalf here, “fool of a Took!”, the line “and I’ll be, better when I’m older…” is just- MWAH. This song reminds me of him honestly. He is, as the song states, “your crying shoulder”, the “greatest fan of your life”. Everything about you takes his breath away. We all know he’s the best singer in the fellowship, and its just gorgeous to listen to him sing it, especially because he means every word. He also probably dedicated this to you early on in the relationship, and it was definitely your wedding song (if you got married).

“I’ll be, better when I’m older. I’ll be, the greatest fan of your life~”

GIF by thorinsbeard

(tumblr needs more Merry gifs istg-)

Meriadoc Brandybuck - Nothing - Bruno Major

Honestly you wouldn’t expect such a lowkey song for such a high energy guy, but he’s a sucker for lazy days and sweet moments. He’s, as he likes to say, ‘work-avoidant’, and just wants to spend all his time on you. He also finds the song easy to sing to you, so thats a plus. The lyrics just resonate with him, similar to my picks for Pippin and Frodo. He’s very competitive, but he honestly doesn’t mind losing to you. He pretends like romantic or soft movies don’t make him cry, even if they do. He gets the appeal of going out and drinking and laughing, but just staying at home with you just sounds so much nicer to him. Its all about the little things in life with him, the small moments, the laughs, and every ‘I love you’ that makes him feel lighter than air.

“Dumb conversations, we lose track of time. Have I told you lately? I’m grateful you’re mine~”

GIF by thefandomimagine

Aragorn - Dark Red - Steve Lacy

He knows how dangerous his work and life is, and he’s always had this fear of leaving you behind (hence the ‘something bad is ‘bout to happen to me’). He only sees you in his life, no matter who else is wanting for his attention, he’s so devoted to you. He only hopes that you’ll stay by his side and fight with him, and he’s not willing to give up on you. No, he refuses to give up when you are involved, and he fights so hard to keep you safe and protected. The song also is easy to mumble to you when he’s tired, and it’s soothing for him to listen to. It’s just a symbol of how much you mean in his life, and how he trusts you with his heart.

“Only you, babe, only you darlin’, only you~”

GIF by reactionimages

Legolas - Lover - Taylor Swift

Unabashed Swiftie in general, but this song just hits different. So first off he probably already called you his lover, and when he found the song he thought it was perfect. I can definitely see him learning guitar and playing this song for you as well. Into the actual song analysis, this song frames his want to be close to you, the mysterious way he was drawn to you, the way he felt like time flew by whenever you talked. Also I feel like he’s made jealous relatively easily, and that’s also in the song. His heart has been borrowed before, but he’s glad he’s ended up with you, to hear your jokes, save you seats, and call you his lover. He definitely likes to sing this to you late in the night, and i can see him humming/mumbling it whenever the two of you just stand and hold each other. Its so wholesome, and he loves the way your eyes light up when he sings it with all the love in his heart, all of it for you.

“You’re my, my, my, my… lover~”

GIF by tlotrgifs

Gimli - If You Love Her - Forrest Blakk

Honestly, he’s not a very observant dwarf, but he does pay attention to you. He knows you, and he cares a lot. Protective of you to a fault, but just wants everyone to know that they shouldn’t take you or your heart for granted. He hates to admit it, but he thinks you are precious (I’M SORRy-) and every small thing about you is worth taking note of. And he does, so he knows exactly how to make you happier. He’s your personal hype-man, and truly believes that you are the best thing he has ever had. He uses the song as a guidebook on how to treat you, and while he won’t say it, or sing it, he does play this song for you and leave in a huff, just hoping you’ll know this song is meant to say that he loves you. (He might even dub it over with your preferred pronouns for the big reveal, and it’s quite funny)

“They’ll love you, if you love them like that~”

GIF by myrkvidrs

Boromir - Summer Love - The Workday Release

Boromir really thinks this song demonstrates his feelings towards you, and how he wishes you’d stick around with him. You remind him of the summer, warm, bright and hopeful. It was so simple for him to fall in love (it’s like counting 1,2,3). He’s awestruck by your beauty, and doesn’t find it enough to dream about you, he needs to be holding your hand, feeling your presence. He wants to face the world with you there next to him. You always manage to give him a smile, make sense to him, and be honest. He’s not sure how to articulate everything he feels around you, so he just says that he loves you.

“Surely this is love, this is love, this is summer love~”

WOOOOO IM DONEEEE

Ive been writing for the past 2+ hours and it’s late and I’m tired, but I really hope you enjoy. If you want to request a fic, any fandom will do, I’ll get back to you on it, I promise.

Let me know if you want me to do a Part 2 with some other characters <3 Have a great day!!

[newestcool]

Rick Owens s/s 2024 menswear Creative Director Rick Owens Models , Edwin Tay, Shin Dongyeon & Mamuor Majeng Fashion Editor/Stylist Tyrone Dylan Makeup Artist Daniel Sallstrom Hair Stylist Duffy Casting Director Angus Munro Photographer Filippo Fior  Newest Cool on Instagram

[dear-indies]

hi! can you recommend male actors of color in their early to mid-twenties with a similar vibe to xolo maridueña? i don't want to use him because he's anti-black & has invalidated black latines in one of his comment sections years after the original post, but no one on tumblr talks about it or has given any alternatives. thank you :)

Angel Bismark Curiel (1995) Taino, Afro Dominican, Spanish - has asthma and a heart murmur.

Brandon Perea (1995) Filipino / Puerto Rican.

Jan Luis Castellanos (1995) Dominican.

Jason Genao (1996) Dominican.

Tony Revolori (1996) Guatemalan [Spanish and Unspecified Indigenous], possibly other.

Jharrel Jerome (1997) Afro-Dominican.

Omar Apollo (1997) Mexican - is gay.

Sergio Mayer Mori (1998) Mexican.

Omar Rudberg (1998) Venezuelan - doesn’t want to label his sexuality but falls in love with people regardless of gender.

Michael Cimino (1999) Puerto Rican [Taíno] / Italian, German, Swiss-German.

Jadiel Dowlin Lewis (1999) Afro-Panamanian.

Edwin Honoret (1999) Afro-Dominican.

Also:

Aubrey Joseph (1997) African-American.

Forrest Goodluck (1998) Navajo, Tsimshian, Hidatsa, Mandan, Japanese, Norwegian, German, French, and English.

Chella Man (1998) Hongkonger and Jewish - is deaf, trans genderqueer and pansexual (he/they).

Haroon Kadwani (1999) Pakistani.

Bilal Hasna (1999) Palestinian / Punjabi.

Thomas Weatherall (2000) Kamilaroi.

Jonathan Daviss (2000) African-American.

D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (2001) Ojibwe, Cree, Chinese Guyanese, Afro Guyanese and White.

Also:

Lizeth Selene (1999) Mexican - is genderfluid and queer (they/she).

Hey, anon! If you please could link me to what he's done that'd be great because I can't find anything on Google or Twitter and I frequently suggest him, thank you!

[brightatmidnight]

Understanding the Art Behind Trailer Making

For this week's blog, we wanted to share some behind the scenes info on how Eos made our latest trailer so awesome and reflections on our past trailers as well! Enjoy!

Last week, we made a post showing off the new trailer for The Chaser’s Voyage and it’s a video I’m personally very proud of. To make it, I went back to the basics to learn more about video editing and, specifically, more about how to make good trailers.

First, let me go over some of the follies I think I made during our last trailers. I’m okay with admitting that they weren’t the best trailers, or even “good” game trailers, because I’m still learning this whole process. Trust me, when I started making this game with Cameron, I had no idea about all the things I’d have to learn and do for marketing purposes.

Do not be mistaken though, I am proud of those older trailers. I think editing and style wise they are pretty good. Our reveal trailer is pretty boring visually, but there are hints of something stylish buried beneath an understandably amateurish composition. Our steam trailer, I like to think, has a lot more flair with trailer unique animations and swooshing character introductions, but it was flair in the wrong direction. Seeing hypothetical people’s perspectives can be really rough. I’ve spent so much time with Edwin, Tai, Nila, and Wolfe, that I forget that most people don’t know how awesome they are. Still, this trailer came about after I redid our entire user interface, meaning my skills in GIMP were still burgeoning.

I really like this composition and still think the effects are really cool, but without anyone really knowing our characters, most people would tune this out.

Our early access trailer wasn’t actually meant to be our “big trailer.” It was meant to be a smaller trailer that used the flashier steam trailer as a supplement. You can actually tell though that some of the problems with our marketing strategy were starting to be addressed. Less emphasis on the characters nobody knows about and an attempt to better communicate the mechanics of the game. Still, more often than not, audiences did not seem to see what made our game unique and why it was fun. Your advertisements are often the first time people encounter your game, especially in the wild, so making a good first impression that catches people’s attention is absolutely essential.

As I detailed a couple months ago, for this new video, I went back to the basics and scoured the internet for resources to learn how to make a better game trailer. Luckily, professional game trailer editor Derek Lieu has many videos and articles all about the art form. There’s still so much more to learn and do, but for anyone who wants to learn how to make a trailer on their own, I couldn’t recommend Derek’s stuff more.

For our newest trailer, there’s a few key things I experimented with. The first was zooming in to block off the UI. Unlike many other games, our game is VERY UI dependent. How you interact with the UI is how you play the game, so turning it off completely was just not going to happen. For a long time, I was worried that zooming in so much to completely block off the UI would make the game look not as crisp and that might leave a bad impression, but after some tests, I found that it actually looked really great at 1080p. So with that fear assuaged, I used a lot of zoomed in footage to better get across the daring space adventurer vibe without worrying about the UI detracting at all from that. It also made the beginning of the trailer feel much more dynamic.

It’s worrying that this could give a false impression of how The Chaser’s Voyage is played, but what was more important was just hooking people’s attention.

I also learned how to do picture-in-picture in order to better highlight certain elements (and by that I mean the power management mechanics). This actually allowed me to still show off our characters a bit by connecting them to the primary mechanics. A little pip shows which system is going up, a banner says what action the player will get to do, and the character lets the audience associate the system with the character.

Sound mixing and balancing was also a big focus this time on the trailer. I made sure that every cut was on some sort of beat and that the music was properly balanced to emphasize the voices when they were talking, but to also emphasize the music when nobody was talking. Which is important because our music is still incredible. These are all things I learned from Derek’s videos and articles.

Lastly, it was just making sure we showed off everything we’ve done since the last trailer and this one. Showing off cutscenes, using our new Steam thumbnail art, and even using new character art for the villain of the game, that we showed off as a wallpaper a while back. We also were able to include our player death stops for a very dramatic and suspenseful ending.

While progress can be slow, I feel like we’ve made a lot of progress nonetheless. Cutscenes were a huge milestone for us!

The results were a better trailer. One that I think really shows off what we love about The Chaser’s Voyage and will hopefully be the reason everyone else loves it too. It was totally a lot of work, but it goes to show you that as long as you’re willing to put in the work, check your ego at the door, and always be trying and doing, you can go from a know-nothing novice to a knows-a-little-bit novice like me.

For more updates on The Chaser’s Voyage, be sure to check back on our blog, follow us on Twitter, or join our Discord! If you wish to play The Chaser’s Voyage, you can buy it while we’re in Early Access on Steam! (On sale for 49% off, $10.19, till 03/23/2023!)

-Eos//G

[katalogos]

Ultimate OC List

From A-Z, in each group

The Old Gods

Astonio (he/him)

Avarice (he/they/it)

Bane (he/it)

Desperare (he/they/she/it)

Ennarie (she/they)

Gosodovn (he/it)

Hadeon (he/they)

Rosure (she/her)

Shalldor (he/it)

Viathan (it/he/they)

Volyk (they/it)

Wicek (he/him)

The New Order

Cameron (he/him)

Cassius (he/him)

Edwin (he/they)

Shawn (he/it)

Spiros (he/him)

Zadkiel (he/him)

Ghastly Legends

Delgare Dux (he/him)

Desidero (he/him)

Dominari (he/him)

Slight of Hand

Augustus (he/him)

Aurum (he/it)

Barron (he/him)

Bruno (he/they)

Charlie (he/him)

Felix (he/him)

Iridia (she/her)

Platino (he/him)

Vince (he/they)

Imbalance

Azriel (they/them)

Castiel (he/him)

Ferro (he/they)

Maia (she/her)

Mercy (they/he)

Sio (he/him)

Scrolls of Change

Meleph (he/they/it)

Tàiyáng (Tai) (he/him)

Secunda (he/they)

Walk in the Park

Bordeaux (he/him)

Maurizio (he/they)

Naomi (she/her)

Santiago (he/him)

Sheilynn (she/her)

Tavi (he/him)

Call of War

Aurai (she/her)

Hakon (he/him)

Karanos (he/him)

Cardinal Gods

Allezia (he/she)

Arceno (he/him)

Desaise (they/he/she/it)

Descorde (he/it)

Destruire (he/it)

Despicere (he/she)

Eloncia (she/her)

Gravitaz (they/he)

Halcine (it/they/he)

Mariza (she/her)

Nazca (he/him)

Oneras (they/them)

Patahas (he/him)

Shozen (he/they)

Telove (she/her)

Viceza (she/her)

[crosshimes-fanwritings]

Random Night

Fandom: Zatch Bell, The Duke of Death and His Maid, Villainess Level 99, Super Mario, Pokemon, Digimon, and Final Fantasy 7. Rated: T Verse: Randomverse CW/TW: Slight drinking and smoking, mention of a breakup and polyamorous relationship. Notes: Just a random writing with a random plot and random canon and OC characters. Reina is my villainess OC. Word Count: 522

"Well, Suzume isn't coming to the party, man," William said to Luigi.

"I can't blame her. Walter will be there. He is the last person she'd need to see right now." Luigi sighed, throwing a cigarette onto the ground, and stepped on it. "Why did she date him in the first place?"

"She liked him, dude." William opened a can of beer and drank it. "But, no, he has to fuck it up."

"I'm curious. I thought Miss Ehnleit was the only girl you and your homies give a darn about."

"The hell?" William raised an eyebrow, confused, as he held his half-empty beer. "Did we really look like we only cared about Alicia?"

"You didn't hear it from me, but Walter thinks so." Luigi frowned.

"That bastard! He has the nerve to say shit when he never ONCE gives a damn about Suzume!"

"Y'all didn't hear this one from me," Daisy emerged from the public restroom. "but Suzume may get back together with Viktor."

"Ooooh, fucking shit!" William gaped enthusiastically. "Viktor's pretty much is FUCKED."

"I thought he likes Alice?" Luigi wondered, raising his eyebrow.

"Suzume was in a threesome with Viktor and Alice," Daisy admitted. "Walter has no idea."

"One way to piss off Walter and his ego," William drank the rest of his beer and tossed the can into a recycle bin. "So, y'all coming to Reina's party?"

"Mah." Luigi shook his head no. "I'm staying home tonight. Big bro is having his own party."

"Cool. I ain't going either. Edwin is out of town with his family, Oswald's crashing in early for a huge ass exam tomorrow, and Alicia is chilling with Suzume, Viola, and Caph at her house. I probably go home and play video games."

"Or you can join us!" Mario appeared along with Ash and Tai. "I'm having an open party! Cloud and his gang will also be there."

"I'm in now," William grinned. "I need to talk to Cloud anyway."

"Heck yeah!" Luigi jumped excitedly. "I was about to ask you to invite William, bro!" Luigi looked at Mario.

"No need! The more guests, the more fun!" Mario smiled kindly. "First, we need to head to the convenience store. Waluigi and Wario drank all of the sodas." Mario chuckled.

"Let me buy the sodas," William offered, grinning. "That's the least I can do, man!"

"Welcome abroad!" Daisy put her arm around William's shoulder, smiling at him. "New blood!"

"Hey, now! That's the vampire way to settle things," Ash giggled.

"Tell me about it!" Tai laughed. "Matt and the others at Reina's party."

"Ugh. Don't even mention that asshole. Reina caused the break-up between Suzume and Walter. Daisy scowled in disgust.

"Forget about that poser." Ash scoffed. "Mario's party is better!"

"What the hell are we waiting for me?! Let's go already!" Luigi cheered.

Everyone nodded to each other and headed toward the convenience store to buy more sodas, alcohol, juices, and snacks. Before finally returning to Mario's two-story house, Daisy ordered a massive meal takeout for the party.

What an incredible night to be alive as the full moonlight shined upon the party attendees.

[nguyendovinhphong]

CÒN CHÚT GÌ ĐỂ NHỚ...

Tôi mượn tựa của một tập truyện dài của nhà văn Nguyễn Nhật Ánh (chắp bút 1988) để hồi tưởng về những năm tháng còn "mài đũng quần" trên ghế Trường phổ thông cấp 2 Chuyên Nguyễn Khuyến (1999 - 2003). Đó là những năm đầu tiên thế hệ GenZ (1997 - 2012) được sinh ra, đánh dấu một cột mốc đáng nhớ trong nghiệp "làm người" của tôi. Và những gì tôi sắp sửa viết ra sau đây chỉ là những ký ức vụn được lắp ghép không đầu không đuôi, một bức tranh chắp vá vọng tưởng về một thời rất đẹp trong ký ức...

Những buổi sáng đầu tiên tôi theo học Nguyễn Khuyến thực sự đáng nhớ. Con đường Lê Lợi lúc này hãy còn hai chiều; và trên con đường râm mát đến trường đó, có một quãng đậm hương mùi cà phê Long. Con đường kỳ diệu đến nỗi, vào một ngày đẹp trời khi tôi mới lên cấp 3, tôi vẫn bị nó hấp dẫn làm cho đạp xe đến tận cổng trường cũ và xao xuyến ngậm ngùi nhận ra mình không còn là một thành viên của Nguyễn Khuyến nữa.

Tôi nhớ tiết học mổ ếch rơi vào buổi chiều, khi nắng soi qua dãy kính lật trong như pha lê. Này đây buổi chào cờ với những câu hỏi hóc búa dành cho lũ học sinh nhốn nháo bên dưới. Và kia trận thư hùng bóng đá giữa giáo viên hai trường cấp hai trong vùng, thầy Hồ Kỳ Mô dáng cao gầy đứng trong khung gỗ chẳng khác là mấy Edwin van der Sar. Tôi chẳng thể nuôi dưỡng tình yêu dành cho văn chương trong mình nếu thiếu đi những tiết học về thơ Nguyễn Khuyến của thầy Ngô Phú Thành (người bị ám ảnh bởi từ "lọ mọ") hay tập viết truyện ngắn của thầy Bạch Văn Thắng. Tôi sẽ không hiểu được hết vẻ đẹp lấp lánh của Anh Ngữ nếu không có sự dìu dắt của thầy Nguyễn Trọng Khá, thầy Nguyễn Văn Hải.

Một chuyện cười ra nước mắt khi cậu học trò mê bóng đá nào đó, trong một tiết kiểm tra sử, đã viết nhầm tên cựu Bộ trưởng Bộ Quốc phòng Mỹ Robert McNamara thành (Steve) Mcmanaman, cựu cầu thủ Liverpool! Câu chuyện anh Nguyễn Văn Trỗi đặt mìn ở cầu Công Lý nhằm vào tay Bộ trưởng Mỹ bỗng trở thành một chuyện phi lý với danh thủ người Anh tội nghiệp tự dưng bị lôi vào một "giai thoại" vừa buồn cười vừa kỳ quặc.

Các thầy cô yêu nghề, yêu học sinh và đồng nghiệp đến cùng cực. Cô Phú hiệu phó từng trăn trở một việc tưởng rất đơn giản là xếp lịch dạy cho đồng nghiệp, sao cho có "tình" nhất, để mỗi đồng nghiệp đều được đứng lớp đúng giờ, đủ giờ. Thầy Lê Quốc Hưng (sinh/tin học) gửi tâm sự vào một tập san nội bộ ngày ấy, rằng: "Sẽ rất buồn nếu ai đó hỏi anh đến trường có việc chi không." Đây là một tâm sự của một phụ huynh cũ, khi có dịp ghé lại trường và được nghe câu hỏi "phũ phàng" như vậy. Thầy Hưng nổi tiếng tếu táo, có lần, thầy kể chuyện ông giáo sư Nhật dịch đoạn "Gió đưa cành trúc la đà..." sang tiếng Nhật làm cả bọn cười nắc nẻ. Thầy nhắc lũ học sinh phải hô "tiến lên" thay vì "cố lên" trong thế đội nhà đang dẫn trước. Cô Lan (dạy văn) thường hát nhạc Phạm Duy: "Em ước mơ mơ gì tuổi 12, tuổi 13..." Thầy Xuân Xanh gieo vào thằng Luân bạn tôi niềm say mê vật lý, để rồi giờ này nó là tiến sĩ bên Mỹ.

Ai đó nói "kỷ niệm thường đẹp và buồn". Nó đẹp thì chẳng phải bàn, nhưng nó buồn vì chúng ta làm sao lấy lại được nữa. Có buổi, tôi rưng rưng nghe chuyện thầy Hoàng chủ nhiệm mặc quần xà lỏn chở nước cơm thừa cho vợ. Bữa khác, tôi như vỡ oà khi cô Tuyền dạy toán khoe con cô vừa đạt giải cao môn tin học. Từ trước khi có Grab, thầy Tuấn thể dục đã được người yêu giao đồ ăn ngay cổng trường trong giờ dạy, sự vụ khiến cả lớp "ồ" lên! Mãi sau này, tôi mới gặp lại thầy làm quản lý một quán hải sản. Nhìn gương mặt sương gió của thầy, tôi tự hỏi thầy có còn nhớ khoảnh khắc ngày xưa.

Giờ thì... Sẽ không bao giờ chúng ta gặp lại thầy Lưu "già" với những những tiết toán thú vị, người thầy đã từng bỏ nhiều thời gian để chứng minh "định lý Fermat lớn". Sẽ không còn nữa những tháng ngày trường còn nằm ở 93 Nguyễn Chí Thanh (nơi vào ngày 12/9/2001 tin tức về sự kiện 11/9 làm chấn động một đứa nhóc choai choai là tôi). Sẽ không thể nào lặp lại cái hôm tập thể dục tôi bay (đúng hơn là nhảy đứng) qua thanh xà và nhắm mắt thả người nằm lên tấm nệm chờ sẵn trong tiếng vỗ tay của cả khối lớp. Sẽ không ai được nghe thầy Trương Cừ thao thao bất tuyệt về những ngày thầy học ở Huế, tuyến yên, đạo-ông-Cừ, hay ký ức của thầy về những người bạn niên thiếu.

Có những thứ nhất định bạn phải trải qua một lần trong đời. Chẳng hạn như tôi là việc được nghe cô Thu Ba bình văn, chứng kiến thầy Khanh dắt bóng qua một rừng hậu vệ đối phương, ngẫm về quân Tây Sơn qua lời thầy Nuôi, đọc truyện ngắn của Edgar Allan Poe ("Bức chân dung hình bầu dục") qua bản dịch xịn không thua gì lối dịch Phạm Viêm Phương của thầy Tường, trợn tròn mắt khi biết giáo án của thầy Mô là những trang giấy rời được ghi chép cẩn thận, thèm một ly nước đá lạnh sau 5-6 vòng chạy quanh khu phố nhà trường trong một tiết thể dục ngốn sức khủng khiếp, hay ngoặm một ổ mì bơ thơm béo trong căn tin nhà trường ngày ấy. Niềm vui ở Nguyễn Khuyến được kéo dài thêm vào những ngày cắm trại trong công viên nước hay biển Xuân Thiều, nhân lên trong buổi văn nghệ cuối năm khi hai anh chị lớp lớn đi từ trong cánh gà ra và cất lời bằng nhạc Ưng Hoàng Phúc: "Điều anh không muốn nay cũng đã đến..."

Những ngày tháng đó, tôi tập chơi bóng bàn, đánh guitar, học về Internet, đá bóng trên bãi biển Thanh Khê thanh vắng cùng chúng bạn trong lớp, lùng mua một poster David Beckham từ những quầy tạp hóa nhỏ dọc theo cái xóm lao động giờ là siêu thị Go!, đọc ngấu nghiến những trang truyện Nguyễn Nhật Ánh (Hoa hồng xứ khác, Hạ đỏ, Mắt biếc,...),... Những buổi chơi game "Half Life" ở quán 97 Lê Lợi, những buổi chat với bạn bè bằng nick Yahoo! mới cáu, những buổi lựa CD tặng sinh nhật cho bạn bè ở những tiệm đĩa sáng loáng, những buổi lọc cọc viết những trang văn đầu đời cho báo trường trên con máy Pentium cũ, nhạc Triệu Hoàng, nhạc West Life, tiếng gươm đao trong game Đế Chế, game Beach Head (2000 & 2002), báo eChip, winamp với giao diện Pizza Hut v5, học thêm cùng khắp ở Ông Ích Khiêm-Trần Cao Vân-Đống Đa... Chỉ một cái chớp mắt, tất thảy đã trở thành quá vãng. Và bằng cách nào đó, trường Nguyễn Khuyến dựng lên trong tôi một hình ảnh trọn vẹn giữa đám ký ức xanh màu đó. Một hình ảnh rõ ràng, mới tinh... Như thể buổi tựu trường chúng tôi thả bóng bay lên trời, với mong ước về một tương lai đẹp ngời vẫn còn đó, như vừa mới hôm qua.

Và Nguyễn Khuyến góp phần tạo ra những con người có ích tử tế. Chỉ xét riêng lớp tôi là vô vàn những ví dụ thú vị. Nếu Nguyễn Bá Anh Nguyên có thể lead một team đủ sức làm game khuynh đảo App Store, thì Hoàng Tùng bận bịu với công việc ở Jetstar. Thạch thần thánh vẽ nhà xây tổ ấm, còn Lê Mình Toàn lựa chọn đầu quân cho Techcombank. Khiêm 9/3 làm chủ quán Chú Bi.

Người Mỹ kể về những tháng ngày đất nước họ đặt chân lên mặt trăng qua tựa phim "Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood" trên Netflix. Một người đàn ông trưởng thành nhìn về quá khứ bằng đôi mắt trìu mến. Tôi cũng có những cảm xúc tương tự khi được nhìn về Nguyễn Khuyến trong góc nhìn của một người đã bước quá ngưỡng một nửa cuộc đời. Trong tôi, hiện tại, chỉ toàn là "giá như"... Giá như tôi được trở lại, giá như tôi quyết định khác đi, giá như tôi cất lời...

Còn chút gì để nhớ? Hay còn rất nhiều để nhớ? Trong khuôn khổ một bài viết ngắn, tôi không thể giãi bày hết. Nhưng nếu không có Nguyễn Khuyến, sẽ không có tôi hôm nay. Và tôi tin, điều này vận vào cuộc đời của hàng nghìn học sinh đã từng học ngôi trường này, trao cho chúng tôi một niềm tự hào không bút mực nào tả nổi.

26/02/2024

Footnotes:

Trong truyện "Những cô em gái" (2000), Nguyễn Nhật Ánh có viết về con đường Nguyễn Du ở Đà Nẵng. Tình cờ đây cũng là con đường nơi trường từng tọa lạc.

Bài viết cho tập san 30 năm Nguyễn Khuyến

[eksopolitiikka]

Dulcen tukikohta: Thomas Castellon tarina

Thomas Edwin Castello väitti olevansa entinen turvallisuusteknikko, joka työskenteli RAND Corporationin palveluksessa Dulcen maanalaisessa laitoksessa. Rehellisesti sanottuna on epäilyttävää, oliko hän todella olemassa. Hänen väitetään varastaneen kiistanalaisia asiakirjoja, joita kutsutaan ”Dulcen papereiksi”, sekä yli 30 mustavalkokuvaa ja videonauhan. Castello kuoli (tai yksinkertaisesti katosi) noin vuosi sen jälkeen, kun hän oli antanut vastauksia hänelle esitettyihin kysymyksiin. […] https://eksopolitiikka.fi/eksopolitiikka/dulcen-tukikohta-thomas-castellon-tarina/

[celestialpotat0]

recent gratitude list

sat with matt, edwin, and scott at Taylor Swift's concert. in my last post i just wanted to jot down my ranking of her albums prior to attending the concert to compare if my ranking would change afterward. Eras tour taught me a lesson to be more grateful and fully appreciate every moment as I'm living in it. before the show, i didn't feel excited for some reason. during the show, i was cramped, the stranger next to me kept sneezing and coughing on me, and i didn't enjoy hearing the audience screaming so loudly that i couldn't even hear Tay singing. the person in front of me was very distracting, and she grabbed my beer and tried to drink it. i had paid an obscene amount for terrible cold hot dog and fries. i know i sound extremely negative but it was the truth of what was distracting me in the moment.

it took me a little bit to get over all the unpleasant things but by the time we'd reached the evermore era i was fully immersing myself into 1000% enthusiastically dancing and singing along and not giving a F about any of the negative things. which is a shame bc the lover and fearless eras are amazing and i enjoyed them during the concert, but was still trying to adapt/get over the distractions at that point, grew progressively more carefree during evermore, but it prob wasn't until reputation that i had reached my full-forced frenzy of completely rocking out in my trance-like state. and no, i did not do drugs. all it took to feel euphoric was the concert itself!

i had so many blissful times during that concert. it's true what they say, it's a surreal, out-of-body experience. like whoa did i actually just watch this legend perform live in front of my eyes. so many songs when nothing else mattered and i was ecstatic to be there in the cool summer night screaming out the songs in my feelings and knowing i was privileged to be there and reminiscing about my youth. and afterwards i felt like all i want is to be there to experience it all over again, so that i might absorb it all more, take it all in more, seal my senses that night more tightly in my memory.

the eras tour was a prime example of my erroneous behavioral habits. i tend to focus on the negatives in the moment, then afterward in retrospect i wish i had embraced the experience more. constantly going through life thinking of the struggles, but then looking back and wishing i appreciated the experiences more, if only i could have seen all the beauty.

---

i've gone to the pool every weekend for the past 4 weekends, plus again on tuesday. for the first two weeks i swam laps in the 25-meter pool, another time i stood in the pool and read, another time hung out with friends while catching some rays and drinking homemade frozen strawberry daiquiri and hard cider by the pool. this last time just swam laps. consistently taking the time to slow down, however irresponsible it may be to neglect homework and errands, but enjoying the sun's heat burning my skin and sweating profusely. can it always be summer.

---

andrew gave cathy, matt, and me a tour of meta's campus and we dined and drank there. we played DDR and perused many libraries. i was EXTREMELY sleep deprived that day but hopefully it didn't show. the sun set in a pink and lavender sky as we walked across the lush garden rooftop and looked out into the distance into the expanse.

---

when i was 14, i discovered taylor swift and spent god knows how long downloading her songs from questionable sources onto my ipod mini. i sang along to debut and fearless in the shower throughout high school. i was also 14 (or 15? don't remember) when i created a facebook account. times were much simpler and life was good. nostalgia for the bubble of arcadia high and the first iteration of fb that i experienced. but as favorable as my impression of the past is, objectively 31 year old me lives a better life; i just watched taylor in concert w/o blinking an eye at the cost, and i just spent an evening on meta's campus for leisure. 14 year old me woulda never imagined. so this is a reminder to myself about how i should open my eyes more everyday to how fantastic life is at 31. taylor swift has built a successful empire from (rather) humble beginnings, and i am so happy for her. i am lucky to have amassed treasured experiences, managed to find some true friends, and no longer have to worry about being able to afford things, which I worried about when I was growing up.

[whattheabcxyz]

2023-08-09

Science

We still know almost nothing about thousands of proteins in the human body

More than half of earth’s species live underground - so just imagine the terrible damage pesticides must be causing by seeping into the soil

Singapore

Edwin Tong shocked to discover extent of arterial blockage after undergoing heart procedure - Maybe that's what happens after you defend ultra-scumbags like Kong Hee! I call it karma!!!

Rent for CCK flat hits record $6.6K - more expensive than condo prices

Body of 34-year-old delivery man found in car at Upper Changi after resident notices bad smell - no foul play suspected

Public housing schemes to be adjusted - more info during National Day Rally

F-16 jets scrambled in response to Malaysian helicopter - Changi Airport operations were briefly affected ...our f**king 3rd-world neighbours do this every National Day

Health

New cancer hope as pill "annihilates all solid tumors"

Finance

Singapore: New security feature on OCBC banking app draws mixed reactions - it does not allow users to access OCBC's online banking services until apps on the user's phone that were downloaded from "unofficial stores" are uninstalled!

Politics

Woman detained in Zelensky assassination plot

Society

NYPD looking for teens in possible hate crime against Asian tourist family on subway train

Japanese man steps out in public as a dog for the 1st time - he's not the only wacko who wants to be an animal

People

Controversial child star Lil Tay & her brother supposedly dead at 14 & 21 respectively

Travel

A new frontier for travel scammers: AI-generated guidebooks

Business

WeWork warns it might go out of business in stunning fall - how it has remained in biz this long is the truly surprising thing

Gossip

British royal family removes Harry's title references from website - why is everyone still calling him "Prince" then?!

Sandra Bullock's partner Bryan Randall dead at 57 from ALS - the cause of the disease is unknown, & 90% of cases occur without any known history/genetic cause

Nature

^ Where & when to catch the Perseids meteor shower in Singapore (image above generated by Bing Image Creator)

Technology

Microsoft kills Cortana to focus on next-gen AI

I'm skeptical cheating/plagiarism detectors work, but here's a list of them anyway, all AI-powered

[anysquared]

Home Not Home Exhibition at Agitator Gallery

Anysquared’s HOME NOT HOME Exhibit Opening is Saturday June 24 from 6pm–10pm, at Agitator Gallery, 3851 W Fullerton, Chicago. AnySquared’s HOME NOT HOME Exhibition investigates various themes, including: belonging/not belonging, freedom/captivity, safety/danger, comfort/discomfort, inclusive/exclusive, building/destroying, and place/displacement. HOME NOT HOME is an examination of the complicated dichotomies of the idea of home and aims to demonstrate that while the concept of home is universal, the experience is very personal. Thank you to Agitator Artist Collective for making space and collaborating for this first installment of the series. This exhibition is the launch of AnySquared’s HOME NOT HOME SERIES, which will run through 2024 at various venues in Chicago. See Exhibiting Artists and Full Schedule Below.  ______

Home Not Home | Schedule through July 10 • SAT June 24th 6–10pm: Opening • SUN June 25th 3–7pm: Gallery Hours • FRI June 30th 3–8pm: Gallery Hours + Friday Art Session • SAT July 1st 5:30-9pm: Spoken Word & Music Event • SUN July 2nd 3–7pm: Gallery Hours • SUN July 2nd 3–4:30pm: Collage Oracle Deck Workshop • THU July 6th 7-9pm: Gallery Hours • THU July 6th 7:30pm: Performance by Sayed Misa Sourour • FRI July 7th 3–8pm: Gallery Hours + Friday Art Session • FRI July 7th 6–8pm: Mindfulness & Art Therapy Workshop • SUN July 9th 6–9pm: Performance/Music Event ______

Artists | Adriana “Dri” Miranda @driforeal • Akira @_indio___ • Alice Gabrielle @teamalice42 • Aly Elliot @mrsalyelliott • Andre Perim @andperim • Andrew Mazariegos-Ovalle @tatu.s.art  • Angela Davis Fegan @davistint • Bria Bridges @subconshis • Cathy Haibach @cathy_haibach • Clau Rocha @frog.eyes.toad.heart  • Constance Volk @constancesvolk • Dan Zamudio danzamudio.com • David Garrido (Alfonso Cevallos) • Diana Noh @moontidal.wave  • Ellen Holzblatt @ellenholtzblatt • Flash ABC @flash_abc • Frank Geiser @geiserfrank • FURY @furyhiphop • Gabe Patti @gjpatti2 • Genevieve Primavera @_dysfunctional_goddess_ • Gregory D. Brown @gregorydbrownsgc • Gretchen Hasse @gbhasse • Helen Wadsley @helenawadsley • Insidious Studios @insidioustudios • Jarrett Brown @junkbox_art • Jean-Michel Rolland @jimrolland13 • Jeremy Newman vimeo.com/jeremynewman • Juana Duran Charicata @arte_duran_chicago • Julie Sulzen @julie_sulzen • Kao Ra Zen @kaorazen • Katherinn Billordo @kathyssketchbook • Kathryn Rodrigues @kathryn.rodrigues • Kathy Halper @kathyhalperstudio • Kinsey Alexander @kinseyalexander • Luna Rail @lunaxrail • Maisie Corl @snottish • Mallory A. Parker & Edwin Soto @malloryaparker • Marcus Green @metafos_ • Mari Guzman @mariguzmanart • Maria Dimanshtein @maria.dimanshtein • Marisol Cervantes marisolcervantes.com • Mark Banks @mark_banks_art • Mark Nelson @gringolandia22 • Mars A. Caulton marscaulton.bandcamp.com • Matthew Petrovich @mapssketchbook • Mia Cinelli @miacinelli • Natalie Fuentes-Aleman @n_fuentesaleman • Nicole Van Dyken @artisticnic • Penny Thrasher • Raine Kam Yung @rainekamy • Ramin Takloo-Biglash @ramintakloo • Richard Medina @richard_medina_ • Sara Lam @saralamstudio • Sarah E. Rieser sarah-rieser.tumblr.com • Sarah Whyte @sarahwhyteart • Sayeda Misa Sourour @spaghettilegz_ • Simone Scigousky @localsuburbanmother • Tai Kojro-Badziak @tkb.studio • Victoria-Riza Hyde @victoria_riza • Yesenia Arroyo @artwithyesenia

______ For Information projects@anysquared.com @ne2gallerysquared